


What Might Have Been

by Kool3r



Series: One Off Stories [2]
Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: Execution, Hanging, Trans Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:22:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28329663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kool3r/pseuds/Kool3r
Summary: Dax'livan has been sentenced to death for a crime he claims to be innocent of.
Series: One Off Stories [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2066010





	What Might Have Been

Dax stood upon a tall wooden structure; his hands bound behind his back. He wore only a long, dirty white button-up top that covered down to his knees, and he looked terrified. Two guards stood on either side of him, a tall dark-haired half-elven woman in front of her facing the massive crowd. The festival being held in Rockpointe had been called off after an attempt on the royal family’s lives, and the city had been called to gather.

“We called you together today to witness the execution of Liv’ana Naerth, who was apprehended during her attempt to kill our king,” Gwyndolyn Elmgrove, Grand Inquisitor of Rockpointe spoke loudly to those gathered. The crowd hissed at the mention of the attempt on the king’s life. “She was questioned, and we have determined her to be guilty of this attempted crime, and she has been sentenced to death.”

Dax stared out at the massive crowd who cheered at the proclamation of his impending death. Tears streaked down his face. He looked to the woman before him, “I told you, I was looking for information that would lead to another who was seeking to take the king’s life. I was trying to save him. It’s all in my journal,” he spoke, his voice shaking as he pleaded.

Gwendolyn frowned, lifting the orange journal for the crowd to see. She turned, holding the book so the crowd could see and then turned to Dax, showing him the blank pages. The runes on the journal were gone, and everything he had written, as well as everything that had been written to him, was no longer on the pages. She tossed the journal aside, the sound of it hitting the ground almost echoing in the silence. “This journal had nothing in it when we confiscated it from you. There is no evidence that proves anything you say to be truthful. Such a waste of your final words, girl.” She nodded to the guards, who took Dax by the arms and pulled him to the center of the wooden platform, below a tall, squared arching that rose above him. 

The guards guided him forcefully up a few steps onto a wooden box that left him standing well above the height of all who were on the platform, easily visible to everyone who watched. His body shook as he felt a thick rope being slid over his head, resting around his neck. His breathing became erratic as they tightened it, tears falling more rapidly. “Please,” he begged of the woman. “I was trying to help the king.”

“All evidence has proved otherwise, your fate has been set,” the Grand Inquisitor spoke plainly. She nodded to the guards after they stepped away. One of them took hold of a lever on the side of the squared arch and pulled it down, the floor beneath Dax falling away. 

He dropped only a few inches before the rope pulled tight around his neck, blocking his airway entirely. He hung helplessly, his legs kicking wildly, his body twitching and shaking as he struggled to breath. His face clenched and contorted as his eyes flicked around, taking in the sight of the crowd now cheering. At least, most of the crowd. He did see a few throughout the crowd who did not join in the cheers. Two young blonde women, one elven and the other appearing half-elven stood together watching, as well as an orange tiefling, watching from elsewhere in the crowd. They both looked saddened by what they were witnessing, but neither of them tried to stop it. How could they? Why would they. They didn’t know this half-drow girl whose execution they were witnessing. 

Dax’s tears stopped as his body went limp, eyes rolling back in his head, his final thoughts being about the blank journal. Had the guild erased it? Did they abandon him? Who had framed him, and why? He would never know. Cheers erupted from the crowd as they witnessed the death of the girl who had attempted to kill their beloved king.

~~~

Dax awoke from his nightmare, his body sitting up so quickly his head spun with dizziness. His breathing was rapid, his heart beating so fast his chest hurt. He was sweating profusely as he looked around. 

“Dax, are you okay?” Devkis asked, terror in her voice as she knelt next to him, her hand on his arm, deep concern in her expression.


End file.
